Seeing and knowing police officers: should the public be fearful?

AbstractThe study examined the effects of police behavioral intervention on residents’ reported level of fear toward the police, both directly and through police-resident familiarity and perceptions of patrol frequency and patrol volume. Data was obtained from a project on behavioral intervention at New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) developments, involving adult residents residing in the housing developments. A survey was conducted after the intervention to collect data on residents’ perceptions of the police. Through path analysis, the results show that the intervention did not significantly impact residents’ fear of the police either directly or indirectly through the mediators. The intervention did not impact perceptions of patrol frequency, patrol volume, or police-resident familiarity. While patrol volume and police-resident familiarity did not impact residents’ fear of the police, patrol frequency significantly reduced residents’ fear of the police, signaling the significance of frequent police presence in the neighborhoods. The implications are discussed.